Abstract

Using a 50 MW, 60 nsec ruby laser, variation of x‐ray emissions from a copper plasma with laser flux has been studied in a purely collisional regime for laser‐plasma interaction. Scaling laws of x‐ray intensity and plasma temperature versus laser flux are reported. Relative contributions of recombination, bremsstrahlung, and line emissions were calculated on the basis of the steady‐state corona model for the ionization states. The emitted recombination radiation was found to be approximately 104 times greater than the bremsstrahlung radiation. The temperature estimated from bremsstrahlung ratios was seen to be highly erroneous.